In movement two (“Farewell”), he draws inspiration from the 1798 poetry of William Wadsworth’s Tintern Abbey, a powerful ode to childhood and the wonders of nature. Written in collaboration with poet and agricultural researcher Kai Hoffman-Krull, the work’s first movement, entitled “Seasons,” follows the life of a farmer as it explores how those who depend upon the land must adapt to the rapidly shifting threats of climate change. Praised by Classical Voice North America as “a rich work whose urgency must be heard,” Kernis’s Earth grapples with one of the most important, yet polarizing issues of our time-the global environmental crisis. “We are delighted for our composers to learn from him, for our performers to engage with his work, and for our audiences to hear these spectacular pieces of vocal chamber music.” “It is a great honor to welcome Aaron, one of the world’s leading composers, back to his native Philadelphia,” says Nick DiBerardino (Composition ’18), Ensemble 20/21 director, acclaimed composer, chair of composition studies, and senior associate dean of performance studies at Curtis. “It’s especially gratifying to have these two works programmed together, which center on my love of text and the voice.” “I am thrilled to be returning to Curtis Institute and Philadelphia, my hometown, for this special portrait concert,” says Aaron Jay Kernis.
Kernis” concludes with a clever setting of Christina Rossetti’s 1862 poem Goblin Market, featuring a lush, proto-Romantic score and a spellbinding recitation of the text by first-year Curtis vocal student, soprano Ashley Marie Robillard (Voice ’18, Opera ’20). The concert opens with the East Coast premiere of his recent 2022 opus, Earth, featuring a performance by acclaimed young tenor Laurence Kilsby, currently a member of the Académie at Opera National de Paris. Under the baton of renowned Curtis alumna Sarah Ioannides (Conducting ’98), music director of Symphony Tacoma, Ensemble 20/21 celebrates the dramatic breadth and beauty of Kernis’s exquisite vocal writing. Hailed by The New York Times for his “fearless originality powerful voice,” the work of Pulitzer Prize- and GRAMMY Award-winning composer Aaron Jay Kernis is known for its eclectic scope and influences that draw on a broad spectrum of inspirational sources from cantorial music to jazz, salsa, hip-hop, and disco. PHILADELPHIA, PA-March 16, 2023- Ensemble 20/21 presents a “ Portrait of Aaron Jay Kernis,” the contemporary music ensemble’s final program for the 2022–23 season, on Saturday, March 25, 2023, at 8:00 p.m., in Gould Rehearsal Hall at the Curtis Institute of Music. Ryan Scott Lathan | | (215) 717-3145 Download PDF
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